ABQ Employees: What Does Having Acute Care Mean For You?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M -- Employees get sick some days. You suspect it’s a common flu or a seasonal allergy or an employee trips on the stairs and sprains an ankle.

In acute cases like these, your employee gets rushed to the hospital ER, nearby ambulatory facility, or a direct primary care (DPC) clinic. 

You can’t deny that your staff needs acute care at one time or another. Medical conditions requiring immediate attention can happen at home or in the workplace.

Here are the reasons why you urgently need acute care in your business:

• What is acute care? 
• What are the advantages of DPC with acute care?
• What are the five benefits of DPC for you and your staff?
• Where is the acute near me in Albuquerque?

What is acute care?

Acute care means prompt action and brief management of medical conditions. It plays a crucial role in preventing disability and death. It involves urgent medical emergencies, serious injuries, surgical recovery, or exacerbations of chronic diseases.

According to the World Health Organization, acute care covers the following domains:

• Emergency care: Your employees get immediate attention for a life-threatening medical condition. It can be a heart attack or stroke. 

• Urgent care is similar to ambulatory care. It happens when someone walks into a medical facility.  It’s an unscheduled visit or after an accident. An example is a wound on the knee due to a fall.

• Trauma care or surgery: Sometimes, life-threatening injuries need surgery. It’s unscheduled and needs immediate attention. A ruptured appendix is an example.

• Critical care is for people who have severe medical conditions. Due to the life-threatening condition, they need extensive care and continuous monitoring.

• Prehospital care refers to temporary care to a person before receiving proper medical care in a medical facility. Care from emergency medical transport or ambulance staff is an example. 

• Short-term stabilization: A DPC provider may attend to an acute health problem before undergoing a procedure. For instance, a healthcare professional starts an IV line on your staff before being sent to surgery. 

What are the advantages of DPC with acute care?

Hospitals have an acute care unit, and so does a DPC clinic. DPC offers convenience, accessibility, and freedom of choice when it comes to acute care.

• Convenience: Your employees reserve an appointment today for a consult the following day.  They visit the clinic without waiting in line too long. Instead of spending hours queuing, they sit for only a few minutes.
  
  If they need immediate attention, they have the option of a virtual appointment. So, your staff gets to consult with a medical practitioner without leaving work.

• Accessibility: An employee may suddenly develop a high fever and headache at night. They don’t have to wait until daybreak to see a medical practitioner. And, they don’t have to get up and travel to the ER for urgent care. 
  
  As a DPC member, they have access to 24/7 telemedicine service. Besides, your employees won’t have to pay for telemedicine since their membership fee covers it. It spares them from paying the high cost of going to an ER, too. 

• Freedom of choice: Your employees can choose from various touchpoints. Clinic visits and telemedicine are two ways of accessing acute care. Other communication channels include call, text, chat, and email.

What are the five benefits of DPC for you and your employees?

1. Improved health results

Acute care results in your employees’ fast recovery. It leads to two positive outcomes.

• One, it lessens absenteeism and presenteeism (when employees come to work sick and are unable to be productive) since they can get back to work sooner. Accessing acute care through DPC is quicker than going to a medical facility. 
  
  A study published in the American Journal of Managed Care says it takes 37 minutes of travel time to get to a medical facility. Then, your staff spends another 84 minutes waiting in line to see a medical practitioner. 
  
  In contrast, your employees spend less time getting an appointment through DPC. And their waiting time to consult a medical practitioner is minimized.  
  
  Acute care saves not just work hours but money, too. The study reveals a total of 121 minutes equates to lost productivity. In 2015, it contributed to $52 billion in losses per year in medical costs. 

• Two, acute care improves and manages the health of your employees. It prevents medical conditions from becoming chronic. 
  
  Chronic diseases harm your staff. They won’t be productive at work due to absenteeism or presenteeism. In addition, their personal and social life also suffer in the course of the illness.

2. Reduced healthcare cost 

• Productivity: As an employer, absenteeism costs you $16 to $286 per employee in a year. The monthly rate of DPC is reasonable at $75 a month. This monthly fee includes acute care and other healthcare services. It provides healthcare for the whole family, discounted meds and labs, and chronic disease management.
  
  Meanwhile, your employee spends about $43 per visit, based on a study. So it’s an out-of-pocket expense. DPC’s fixed monthly membership fee, though, covers consultations. Thus, your employees won’t have to pay fee-for-service. 

• Chronic Disease: Acute care can lead to the early diagnosis of an illness. Attention to illness prevents chronic disease before it gets worse. 
  
  An estimated 50% of Americans have a chronic disease. New Mexicans, in particular, have high rates of cancer, diabetes, emphysema, heart disease, and stroke.
  
  Your employees have lower wages due to the overall cost of their chronic diseases. But, at the same time, you incur losses due to lower productivity.
  
  This decrease in productivity costs about 86% of the total healthcare costs. For employers, it’s about $36.4 billion a year, based on the CDC. 
  
  Thus, DPC with acute care is a cost-saving strategy for you and your employees. You save money while keeping your staff healthy.

3. Recruitment and retention advantage:

DPC with acute care coverage is a vital recruitment tool. Offering acute care attracts highly qualified candidates and retains your performing employees. 

• Employee acquisition: Benefits attract job seekers who value their health other than the compensation package. For some potential candidates, company benefits entice them more than the salary.
  
  According to a 2016 Strategic Benefits survey, health care benefits top the importance of the list of benefits. DPC providers include acute care as part of their services. It serves as a benefit perk that you can offer job seekers.
  
  Another survey shows 46% of employee-respondents decided to work for an employer because of health benefits.
  
  So, if you want to hire the best employees, you have to offer them an attractive package. It includes a healthcare benefit like DPC with acute care.

• Employee retention: Health benefits are one of the critical reasons why employees stay at your business. Willis Towers Watson’s survey found that 55% of employee-respondents continued to work for their employers because of benefits.
  
  The survey further reveals employers are enhancing healthcare benefits due to the covid pandemic. As a result, employees feel secure when prioritizing their well-being, especially when healthcare is needed most.
  
  Thus, DPC with acute care as a health benefit for your business retains employees. You won’t have to be bothered with staff turnover and the cost of hiring a replacement.

4. Business prestige

Not all businesses, especially small ones, offer health insurance and healthcare benefits. Employers are now expanding healthcare benefits to support their employees. 

Offering DPC with acute care sets your company apart. It shows you’re concerned about your employees’ well-being. Taking care of your staff makes them happy. It gives them a reason to be productive, which results in job satisfaction and employee retention.

5. Bonus advantage

A DPC clinic with acute care Many employees consider a DPC with acute care as an on- or near-site clinic. With a minimal monthly fee, it reduces travel and waiting times that affect productivity. 

Moreover, DPC medical practitioners have fewer clients, which allows them to spend more time with their employees. If your staff have complicated medical conditions, a healthcare provider refers them to a specialist in the same clinic. This way, your staff won’t have to travel to another facility to consult a specialist.

On- or near-site clinics can be a strategy in cutting healthcare costs for you and your employees. At the same time, it promotes disease prevention and good health.

The most significant bonus advantage is that DPC offers more than acute care. Services include discounted meds and labs, chronic disease management, and 24/7 telemedicine. These services are inclusive of a monthly membership fee.

Summary:

When it comes to acute care, DPC is accessible and convenient. It also provides multiple touchpoints for your employees. 

DPC with acute care benefits you and your staff in five ways. First, it improves health. Second, it reduces healthcare costs. Third, it gives you the recruitment and employee retention advantage. Fourth, it sets you apart from other businesses. And fifth, it has a wide array of services other than acute care.

Where is the acute care near me in Albuquerque?

Location is vital in choosing a DPC provider when it comes to acute care. There are various DPC providers near you in Albuquerque. For one, Well Life Family Medicine,   located at 8400 Osuna Road NE, Suite 5C, is a convenient location for you.

To know more about acute care and our other services, call Well Life Family Medicine at 505-585-2345.

For a list of WLABQ services for only $75 a month per employee.